Transversal traits in science education research relevant for teaching and research: A meta‐interpretative study

This study is a meta‐interpretative analysis that focuses on research conducted and published by other researchers. Concepts central to this study include global practical relevance, curriculum design, and formative situation. We analyzed 35 studies selected from 374 published studies in the years 2000 and 2001 in three journals referenced in the International Scientific Index. Using a replicable methodology developed specifically for this research, we found evidence of s clusters of variables that suggest the existence of transversal traits in the 35 science education research studies. These results form a reference framework of theoretical and practical knowledge relevant for research and practice pertaining to teaching and learning science. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 45: 574–599, 2008     

An analysis of evaluation campaigns in ad-hoc medical information retrieval: CLEF eHealth 2013 and 2014

Since its inception in 2013, one of the key contributions of the CLEF eHealth evaluation campaign has been the organization of an ad-hoc information retrieval (IR) benchmarking task. This IR task evaluates systems intended to support laypeople searching for and understanding health information. Each year the task provides registered participants with standard IR test collections consisting of a document collection and topic set. Participants then return retrieval results obtained by their IR systems for each query, which are assessed using a pooling procedure. In this article we focus on CLEF eHealth 2013 and 2014s retrieval task, which saw topics created based on patients’ information needs associated with their medical discharge summaries. We overview the task and datasets created, and the results obtained by participating teams over these two years. We then provide a detailed comparative analysis of the results, and conduct an evaluation of the datasets in the light of these results. This twofold study of the evaluation campaign teaches us about technical aspects of medical IR, such as the effectiveness of query expansion; the quality and characteristics of CLEF eHealth IR datasets, such as their reliability; and how to run an IR evaluation campaign in the medical domain.     

Turbulence in Bolivia’s normales: Teacher education as a socio-political battlefield

In line with broader politics of change at the national level, the Morales government aims at a radical restructuring of the governance mechanisms for the teacher education sector and a socio-political redirection of its curriculum, as teachers are perceived to be potential agents for decolonization and for developing social justice—or vivir bien (to live well). Morales’ policies are not uncontested, and the tense socio-political state of affairs and political power plays are reflected in Bolivia’s normales, teacher education colleges. They have become a socio-political battlefield where political affiliations, union strategies, and historically embedded institutional cultures all influence the way new generations of teachers are trained, and the way former and current policy initiatives are mediated and adopted. Given the complex and historically embedded socio-political context of struggles and tensions at and around the institutional level, the government still has a long way to go to change the continuing habits of the normales and to put its government’s new ideals of transformation and decolonization into practice.     

Improving performance aligning business analytics with process orientation

How to align business analytics with process orientation initiatives and how management can influence a synergistic accomplishment of these two elements in order to streamline organizational performance is a foremost managerial issue. By means of a quantitative research effort, a study was designed to investigate the relationships among these constructs. Empirical data were collected in 2011 from a survey of 368 large and mid-sized industrial and service companies headquartered in Brazil. A quantitative analysis was performed, and both the reliability and validity of the scales were evaluated prior to using structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate that the direct effects among BPO, analytical indicators and performance can be taken as statistically significant. The findings also demonstrate that BPO and analytical indicators can be taken as predictors of performance. The paper discusses these results and their managerial implications, as well as some research paths for future studies on the topic.     

Assessing preschool children's physical activity: the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in children-preschool version

In this paper we present initial information concerning a new direct observation system-the Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool Version. The system will allow researchers to record young children's physical activity levels while also coding the topography of their physical activity, as well as detailed indoor and outdoor social and nonsocial contextual information. With respect to interobserver agreement (IOA), the kappa and category-by-category agreement mean of those obtained for the three illustrative preschools were generally above .80. Hence, our IOA data indicated that trained observers in the three preschools frequently agreed on the eight observational categories and accompanying codes. The results for preschoolers' level of physical activity indicated they spent the majority of observational intervals in sedentary activity (i.e., more than 80% intervals) and were observed in moderate to vigorous physical activity much less frequently (i.e., 5% or fewer intervals). For the 15 indoor and 12 outdoor activity contexts, variability across both the activity contexts and the three preschools were evident. Nevertheless, three classroom contexts-transition, snacks, and naptime--accounted for the greatest porportion of coded activity contexts for the children. In the three preschools, 4 of 17 physical activity types--sit and squat, lie down, stand, and walk--accounted for the topography of much of children's physical activity behavior Systematic observation of more representative preschool samples might better inform our present understanding of young children's physical activity in community preschool programs.     

Objectively measured sedentary time and academic achievement in schoolchildren

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between objectively measured total sedentary time and academic achievement (AA) in Portuguese children. The sample comprised of 213 children (51.6% girls) aged 9.46 ± 0.43 years, from the north of Portugal. Sedentary time was measured with accelerometry, and AA was assessed using the Portuguese Language and Mathematics National Exams results. Multilevel linear regression models were fitted to assess regression coefficients predicting AA. The results showed that objectively measured total sedentary time was not associated with AA, after adjusting for potential confounders.     

Combined training,FNDC5/irisin levels and metabolic markers in obese men: A randomised controlled trial

The effects of training on FNDC5/irisin and its association with fitness and metabolic marker improvements induced by training have been poorly investigated in humans. Thus, the present study assessed the effects of combined training (CT) on FNDC5/irisin levels, metabolic markers and fitness adaptations in obese men. Middle-age obese men (age 49.13?±?5.75, body mass index (BMI) 30.86?±?1.63) were randomly distributed in the CT group (n?=?12) and control group (CG n?=?10). The CT consisted of strength followed by aerobic training, 3 times/week, for 24 weeks. Body composition, physical fitness, plasma FNDC5/irisin, biochemical markers and metabolic scores/index were evaluated. CT maintained FNDC5/irisin levels (µg/mL) (pre: 4.15?±?0.32, post: 4.21?±?0.32; p?=?.96) and improved body composition, metabolic and physical fitness markers. In the CG, decreased FNDC5/irisin (µg/mL) (pre: 4.36?±?0.23, post: 3.57?±?0.94; p?=?.01) and reduced strength (supine exercise/kg) (pre: 71?±?14.7, post: 60.1?±?14.05; p?<?.01) were observed, along with a trend to increase HOMA-IR (pre: 2.63?±?1.11, post: 3.14?±?1.27; p?=?.07) and other indicators of metabolic deterioration. An inverse correlation was found between the change (Δ%) in levels of FNDC5/irisin and Δ% glucose, Δ% total cholesterol, Δ% triglycerides and Δ% waist circumference, in addition to a positive relation with Δ% muscle strength. In conclusion, CT maintained FNDC5/irisin levels and provided metabolic and fitness benefits. The correlation between FNDC5/irisin changes and metabolic parameters, as well as the FNDC5/irisin reduction associated with fitness and metabolic worsening in the CG, suggests a relationship between FNDC5/irisin and a healthy metabolic status in humans.     

Correlation network analysis shows divergent effects of a long-term,high-fat diet and exercise on early stage osteoarthritis phenotypes in mice

Background:Obesity increases knee osteoarthritis(OA) risk through metabolic,inflammatory,and biomechanical factors,but how these systemic and local mediators interact to drive OA pathology is not well understood.We tested the effect of voluntary running exercise after chronic diet-induced obesity on knee OA-related cartilage and bone pathology in mice.We then used a correlation-based network analysis to identify systemic and local factors associated with early-stage knee OA phenotypes among the different diet and exercise groups.Methods:Male C57 BL/6 J mice were fed a defined control(10% kcal fat) or high fat(HF)(60% kcal fat) diet from 6 to 37 weeks of age.At 25 weeks,one-half of the mice from each diet group were housed in cages with running wheels for the remainder of the study.Histology,micro computed tomography,and magnetic resonance imaging were used to evaluate changes in joint tissue structure and OA pathology.These local variables were then compared to systemic metabolic(body mass,body fat,and glucose tolerance),inflammatory(serum adipokines and inflammatory mediators),and functional(mechanical tactile sensitivity and grip strength) outcomes using a correlation-based network analysis.Diet and exercise effects were evaluated by two-way analysis of variance.Results:An HF diet increased the infrapatellar fat pad size and posterior joint osteophytes,and wheel running primarily altered the subchondral cortical and trabecular bone.Neither HF diet nor exercise altered average knee cartilage OA scores compared to control groups.However,the coefficient of variation was≥25% for many outcomes,and some mice in both diet groups developed moderate OA(>33% maximum score).This supported using correlation-based network analyses to identify systemic and local factors associated with early-stage knee OA phenotypes.In wheel-running cohorts,an HF diet reduced the network size compared to the control diet group despite similar running distances,suggesting that diet-induced obesity dampens the effects of exercise on systemic and local OA-related factors.Each of the 4 diet and activity groups showed mostly unique networks of local and systemic factors correlated with early-stage knee OA.Conclusion:Despite minimal group-level effects of chronic diet-induced obesity and voluntary wheel running on knee OA pathology under the current test durations,diet and exercise substantially altered the relationships among systemic and local variables associated with early-stage knee OA.These results suggest that distinct pre-OA phenotypes may exist prior to the development of disease.     

Assessing the Impact of a Ceremony in Honor of the Body Donors in the Development of Ethical and Humanistic Attitudes among Medical Students

Activities related to body donation programs, such as donor memorial ceremonies, provide the opportunity to complement student training, especially with regard to the ethical and humanistic elements involved in medical training. This study sought to assess the impact of a ceremony in honor of the body donors has on ethical and humanistic attitudes in medical students. Medical students were surveyed about their perceptions of changes in themselves, respect for donors and donor families, and their relationship with patients. The effect of the students' contact with the family of the donor was analyzed in students who had contact with the cadaver in the dissection room and had either participated or not participated in the donor memorial ceremony. A total of 370 questionnaires were answered by first-, second-, and third-year medical students at the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre in 2017. The students who participated in the ceremony presented more positive responses in relation to commitment to their studies, reflection on death, and positive development of empathy when compared to those who did not attend the ceremony. Most of the students that attended the ceremony suggested the event led to an improvement in the doctor–patient relationship. These results suggest that cadaver dissection with accompanied memorial ceremony involving contact with donor families is an effective means of fostering ethical and humanistic attitudes among medical students from the beginning of the course.